Shackles or clevises for chains or the like

ABSTRACT

A shackle for interconnecting chain links comprising an essentially U-shaped member and a cross or tie member receiving the free ends of the legs of the U-shaped member the cross member having a base therein extending in a direction transversely to the direction of the legs of the U-shaped member. A cylindersegment recess in each of the legs of the U-shaped member, is also provided the axis of which recess coincides with the axis of the transverse bore in the cross member. A pin extending in tight fit in the transverse bore in the cross member is also provided in engagement with the recess in the legs of the U-shaped member.

United States Patent Spilhaug 51 Aug. 22, 1972 [54] SHACKLES OR CLEVISESFOR CHAINS OR THE LIKE [72] Inventor: Tor W. Spilhaug, 3790 Helle, Nor-[30] Foreign Application Priority Data July 8, 1969 Norway ..286l/69[52] US. Cl ..59/86, 59/93 [51] Int. Cl ..Fl6g 15/04 [58] Field ofSearch ..59/86, 93, 85, 78; 24/116 R [56] References Cited UNITED STATESPATENTS 30,766 11/1860 Sigrist ..59/93 2,614,685 10/1952 Miller ..59/93FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 721,971 l/l955 Great Britain ..59/93Primary Examiner-Charles W. Lanham Assistant ExaminerGene P. CrosbyAtt0rneyWatson, Cole, Grindle 8L Watson 1511 ABSTRACT A shackle forinterconnecting chain links comprising an essentially U-shaped memberand a cross or tie member receiving the free ends of the legs of the U-shaped member the cross member having a base therein extending in adirection transversely to the direction of the legs of the U-shapedmember. A cylindersegment recess in each of the legs of the U-shapedmember, is also provided the axis of which recess coincides with theaxis of the transverse bore in the cross member. A pin extending intight fit in the transverse bore in the cross member is also provided inengagement with the recess inthe legs of the U-shaped member.

7 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTED M1622 m2 SHEET 1 [1F 2 INVENTOR BYwfliw, M 4 m2, 4 ATTORNEYS The present invention relates to a shackle orclevis for chains or other connecting means, such as wire loops providedwith an end eye, and the shackle is of the type comprising anessentially U-shaped member and a cross or tie member interconnectingthe free ends of the U-shaped member, each leg of the U-shaped memberbeing received in a bore in the cross or tie member.

Shackles of this type are known, wherein the free ends of the U-shapedmember legs are provided with screw threads and engaging nuts, so thatthe shackle may be used for instance for the purpose of the tighteningstays for telephone or other poles. However, in such shackles, the crossor tie member may be moved inwardly in the U-shaped member if thetension in the stay is released. An essential fact is, that the forcetransfer between the cross member and the U-shaped member is effectedthrough the screw threads of the leg ends, with all the weaknessesinvolved in such a connection.

Further, shackles are known, in which the cross member is received in aneye in the end of each U- shaped member leg, and hereby secured by meansof pins outside of the legs or by being in screw thread engagement withone of the legs. Such shackles may well be used in cases where no greatrequirements are put on dimensions and stresses, but they are notsatisfactory in connection with such high strength chains and the likewhich are required in modern technic application, in particular with thevessel sizes and the low weight requirements to hoisting gears which arenow more and more common. It is therefore of the greatest importancethat the space available be utilized in the best possible manner, i.e.,that no space consuming eyes, pins or screw bolts be required, and thatthe characteristics of the shackle materials be utilized in the mostpossible convenient manner.

According to the present invention, these purposes are fullfilled inthat the cross member is also provided with at least one boreintersecting at least one of the first mentioned bores and having anaxis which extends in a plane extending at right angles to a planeextending through the axes of one U-shaped member, each of the legs ofeach U-shaped member being provided with a cylinder segment-shapedrecess the axis of which coincides with the axis of one of the last saidbores, so that a pin which is received with a tight fit in one of thelast said bores will tightly engage the leg recesses and thereby serveto transfer pull forces between the cross member and the U-shaped memberand at the same time interlock the members. In this manner the leastpossible reduction of the cross sectional area of the U- shaped memberlegs when subjected to rectilinear draw forces is obtained, andsimultaneously the cross sectional area of the pin or pins subjected toshear is the greatest possible. The U-shaped member legs will sufferfrom the small reduction in cross sectional area caused by thecylindersegment recesses, but the pin will be supported in the crossmember along its entire length, and only subjected to shearing strainsin an approximately ellipsoidically shaped shear area, i.e., in a crosssectional area which is substantially greater than that provided by acentrically supported pin.

Conveniently, each of the pin receiving bores of the cross member is sopositioned that its axis is extending tangentially or substantiallytangentially to the bores which receive the legs of the U-shaped member,so as to obtain the greatest possible ellipsoidically shaped shear areain each pin and the least possible reduction of the cross sectional areaof the U-shaped member legs, all under due consideration of the strengthcharacteristics of the two members in question.

Further, the shackle of the invention advantageously may be so formedthat a pair of U-shaped members may be interconnected by means of onesingle cross or tie member, which latter is provided herein with twosets of bores, each set adapted to receive the legs of one U-shapedmember with the leg planes of such members extending at right angles toeach other, so that the shackle may serve as an ordinary chain link inwhich the incoming chain links have mutually right angled planes.Thereby, the cross or tie member may be provided with a bore adapted toreceive a pin common to both sets of U-shaped member legs, so that-bothmanufacture and use be simple, under maintenance of the good qualities,both as to draw and shear tensions.

In the accompanying drawing, examples are schematically given of how ashackle according to the in vention may be brought into practice.

FIG. 1 illustrates a shackle according to the invention, as seen atright angles to a plane extending through the legs of the U-shapedmember.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the shackle, taken along the line IIII ofFIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a view corresponding to that of FIG. 1, of a shacklecomprising a pair of U-shaped members.

FIG. 4 is a view of the shackle of FIG. 3, as seen from above. I

FIGS. 5 and 6 are views, corresponding to those of FIGS. 3 and 4,respectively, in a second embodiment of a shackle comprising a pair ofU-shaped members.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the shackle comprises a steelrod piece 1 having a circular cross section and being curved to anessentially U- shaped form, and a circular steel member 2 provided witha pair of diametrically positioned bores 3 each adapted to receive oneleg of the U-shaped member 1. Approximately at the middle of thatportion of each leg which is received in the cross member 2, each suchleg is provided with a cylinder segment recess 4 and the cross member 2is provided with a pair of cross bores S of the same diameter and axisas those of the recesses 4, so that a pin 6 received in each of thebores 5 will interconnect the legs of the U-shaped member 1 and thecross member 2. As shown, the cross member 2 may be provided with arecess 7 which may serve to support a chain link, while thecorresponding link of a second chain, which is to be connected with thefirst one, is received in the bend of the U-shaped member.

A shackle formed in this manner will be adapted to satisfy very highrequirements as to dimensions and strength, so as to be useful in chainsof extremely high strength. The stretch tension in the U-shaped memberis transferred to the cross member through the pins. The cross sectionalarea is of the legs, it is true, somewhat reduced, but stillsufficiently great to support rectilinear stretch, at the same time asthe pins have their full cross sectional area and are subjected to 3shear tension over en approximately ellipsoidically shaped area definedby the area of contact between pin and leg recess.

In the embodiments shown in the FIGS. 3 and 4, and FIGS. Sand 6,respectively, the shackle is made according to the same principle asthat of FIGS. 1 and 2, but for the fact that each shackle comprises apair of U- shaped members 1 and 11, respectively, and the cross memberis provided with two pairs of bores 3 and 13, respectively, each pairadapted to receive the legs of one U-shaped member.

In FIGS.- 3 and 4, the cross member 2 is provided with a pair of boresso positioned and dimensioned as to be adapted to receive a pin 6adapted to engage recesses 4 formed in mutually opposing faces of the U-shaped member legs. As illustrated, the axis of each pin 6 issubstantially tangential to the bore 3 positioned outside of the bore 5,in order thereby to make the cross sectional area reductions of the legsof the two U- shaped members approximately equal.

In the embodiment shown in the FIGS. 5 and 6, the bores 5 of the crossmember 2 are positioned in-a pair of mutually parallel planes and soarranged that the axis of each of the bores 5 is extending tangentiallyor substantially tangentially to both bores 3 of a set of such bores,but on mutually opposing sides of the axes of such bores. Obviously, therecesses 4 of the U-shaped member legs are correspondingly displaced. Inthis manner, the cross sectional area reduction is the same .in allU-shaped member legs, and the positioning of the bores 5 in differentplanes reduces the strains on the cross member 2.

I claim:

1. A shackle or clevis for use in chains or other connecting meanspresenting an eye, which shackle or clevis comprises at least oneessentially U-shaped member and a cross or tie member interconnectingthe free ends of each leg of said U-shaped member, said cross memberbeing provided with at least one set of first bores each receiving oneof said legs of said U- shaped member, characterized in that said crossmember is also provided with at least one second bore intersecting atleast one of said first bores and having an axis which lies in a planeextending at right angles to a plane in which the axes of said U-shapedmember legs lie, each of said legs of said U-shaped member beingprovided with a cylinder segment-shaped recess the axis of whichcoincides with the axis of said second bore, and a pin member disposedwithin said second bore, said pin member being received with a tight fitin said second bore so as to tightly engage said leg recesses andthereby serve to transfer the pull forces between said cross member andsaid U-shaped member and at the same time interlock said memberstogether.

2. A shackle as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said axis ofsaid second bore of said cross member extends essentially tangentiallyto each of said first bores.

3. A shackle as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said crossmember is provided with two sets of said first bores, two of saidU-shaped members being provided and one of said two sets being adaptedto receive the legs of one of said U-shaped members while the other ofsaid two sets is adapted to receive the legs of another and said crossmember having two of said second bores.

4. A shackle as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the axis ofeach of said second bores extends tangentially to one of the bores ofeach said set of said first bores.

5. A shackle as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the axes ofsaid second bores each extend tangentially to both bores of each set ofsaid first bores, respectively.

6. A shackle as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that the axes ofsaid second bores each lie in mutually parallel planes.

7. A shackle as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that the axis ofeach of said second bores intersects a plane extending through the axesof one set of said first bores at an acute angle.

1. A shackle or clevis for use in chains or other connecting meanspresenting an end eye, which shackle or clevis comprises at least oneessentially U-shaped member and a cross or tie member interconnectingthe free ends of each leg of said U-shaped member, said cross memberbeing provided with at least one set of first bores each receiving oneof said legs of said U-shaped member, characterized in that said crossmember is also provided with at least one second bore intersecting atleast one of said first bores and having an axis which lies in a planeextending at right angles to a plane in which the axes of said U-shapedmember legs lie, each of said legs of said U-shaped member beingprovided with a cylinder segment-shaped recess the axis of whichcoincides with the axis of said second bore, and a pin member disposedwithin said second bore, said pin member being received with a tight fitin said second bore so as to tightly engage said leg recesses andthereby serve to transfer the pull forces between said cross member andsaid U-shaped member and at the same time interlock said memberstogether.
 2. A shackle as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that saidaxis of said second bore of said cross member extends essentiallytangentially to each of said first bores.
 3. A shackle as claimed inclaim 1, characterized in that said cross member is provided with twosets of said first bores, two of said U-shaped members being providedand one of said two sets being adapted to receive the legs of one ofsaid U-shaped members while the other of said two sets is adapted toreceive the legs of the other of said U-shaped members, the planes ofsaid U-shaped members extending at right angles to one another and saidcross member having two of said second bores.
 4. A shackle as claimed inclaim 3, characterized in that the axis of each of said second boresextends tangentially to one of the bores of each said set of said firstbores.
 5. A shackle as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that theaxes of said second bores each extend tangentially to both bores of eachset of said first bores, respectively.
 6. A shackle as claimed in claim5, characterized in that the axes of said second bores each lie inmutually parallel planes.
 7. A shackle as claimed in claim 6,characterized in that the axis of each of said second bores intersects aplane extending through the axes of one set of said first bores at anacute angle.